>> the only thing that stopped a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. >> america's powerful pro gun lobby comes out fighting after a connecticut school shooting. >> hello. this is "al jazeera," live from doha. also making the headlines -- former presidential contender john kerry nominated to be the new secretary of state. keeping his promise, italian prime minister mario monti steps down.

could silvio berlusconi make a comeback? and apocalypse not. we're all still here. >> america's powerful gun lobby wants armed guards at every school in the u.s. the national rifle association came a week after 20 young children and six duments were killed. >> 26 bell tolls for the moment the shooting happened a week ago. washington, d.c. protestorses toled with security outside the national rifle association event. inside two protestors disrupted proceedings twice. the n.r.a. is a powerful lobby inner the constitutional rights to bear arms.

n.r.a. speakers marked the start of a serious national conversation to prevent school shootings. their main idea, more guns in schools. >> the only way -- the only way to stop a monster from killing our kids is to be personally involved and informsed in a plan of absolutely protection. the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. >> the n.r.a. is launching a national school shield program to work with schools to beef up security on sight. >> i call on congress today to act immediately to appropriate whatever is necessary to put armed police officers in every single school in this nation. >> this was less of a press conference, more like an n.r.a. event to which the media had been invited. journalists tried to find out

if their this conversation would involve working directly be the white house. the leadership refused to answer saying they'd take questions from journalists next week. the white house released a video on friday in which president barack obama talked and the outpouring of support he says he's received in favor of gun control measure. >> hundreds of thousands of you from all 50 states have signed petitions asking us to take serious threats take into conversation -- consideration. >> all the people of newtown, connecticut have been reacting to the n.r.a. proposals saying more guns in school. >> it's going to affect the kids psychologically. it's going to be in fear every time they walk into a school.

>> it's kind of bad. i don't think they look at the big picture of things. >> they had to make a statement but this choice is the worst i think. >> about the same time as the n.r.a. vice president was addressing journalists in washington there was a multiple shooting in pennsylvania. gunman killed three people in township east of pittsburgh. the gunman was killed in the shootout with police. a -- mark foreman has been investigating mass shootings in the u.s. and he says the n.r.a.'s comments are outrageous. >> parents who are still burying their 6 and 7-year-old children and for the n.r.a. to come out with the same old talking points it's frankly offensive. they've been pushing this argument that we have to arm everybody and arm the good guys for many years.

and it's bogus. it's a bogus idea. i wrote a piece from mother jones this week looking at the cases that they always find to support that argument. it's the same four or five cases. alleged examples of successful intervention by ordinary citizens to stop mass shooters. when you look at these cases closely and you look up the facts they just don't hold up to scrutiny. >> john kerry will be the top diplomat barack obama nominated to replace hillary clinton as u.s. secretary of state. patty culhane has more. >> john's enter life has prepared him for this role. >> john kerry has waited and worked for this moment. named as president barack obama's pick to be the secretary of state. >> if confirmed he will be a key part of the national security team bringing with him the experience of a war veteran

turned war protestor. >> i'm john kerry and i'm reporting for duty. >> in the past presidential candidate who promised care when using the military. >> i will send a message to every man and woman in our armed forces -- you will never be asked to fight a war without a plan to win the peace. >> he hasn't always been in lock step on libya with the president. he pushed for the administration to push for mubarak's resignation early on. and chastised the u.s. on peace talks. but he has been a fierce deferned on the president's approach on sanctions. he thinks diplomacy could still work in the senate he has made clear how he would deal with the arab spring. >> the opportunity, i see is a way for us to not dominate, not

-- we shouldn't seek to. we should seek to cooperate. we should seek to find a way to do a new kind of marshall plan effort where we're investing and helping these countries to create their own legitimate relationship. there are people that move into it not as we force them to. >> it is expected that senator kerrly will be easily confirmed barring any surprises. chances are that his past has been pretty well thought through. >> mario monti is stepping down after 137 months in office. silvio berlusconi said he will try to replace him. >> on early exit for one of

europe's most respected leaders. mario monti resigned months before the end of his term. he handed his resignation to italy's president shortly after the lower house of parliament approved his one-yearlong government. >> my words will be with every probability the last act and the last words before those who where i formerly hand in my resignation to the head of state. thank you very much to allow me to conclude with you this difficult but fascinating 13 months. >> monti announced he will resign after the people of freedom party. >> in less than two weeks of dialect, we have already gained

five percentage points. so i hope we can aim for the 40% that could give us the victory. monti's future is still unclear. will he go back to being an economist or endorse parties that pledge to continue with his plan, reform. the former prime minister is expected to reveal his choice during a press conference on sunday morning. >> we expect mario monty to expect the decision over his future. that's where we will learn that friday was the last day as monti as politician or whether he will try to play an active card in italy's politics or to continue what he started? >> thousands of people have been protesting in salvenia. >> and in spain activists are

against an conviction law which strips people of their property but leaves to pay their mortgage payment in full. >> a spokesman said the sunshinery was successful and she's likely to go home in a few days. the 87-year-old was a prime minister. >> a human rights group questioned britain's alleged case of torture. they have agreed to pay $23 million to iraqi who is say they were illegal detained by british soldiers. but activists are demanding a public inquiry in all cases. >> an iraqi suspect is being interrogated by british soldiers. he tells them he's in pain. [beep]

>> it's videos like this submitted to british courts that have helped force the u.k. government to make payouts of the payout over the space of three years. beatings, threat, sleep depravation, sexual humiliation say amount to systematic torture. >> you have to be very careful before you start embarking on anything that might turn into torture. the question is, of course, whether sleep depravation, whether food depravation, water depravation whether putting somebody in a cell without any access to any light or ability to exercise, well, is this torture? it doesn't take much of that to constitute torture. >> britain's ministry of defense while acknowledging the payouts assures that it wasn't

anything but a few. the vast majority he said have acted with dignity. we seek to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice [beep] -- brought to justice. [beep]. [beep]. >> but it's starting to cost the u.k. government a lot of money. >> $3 million have been paid out. that's an average about 114. with almost two -- 200 cases the ministry of defense is likely to get bigger. there are the 700 or so individuals that could be filing claims in 2013.

>> still ahead here on "al jazeera." farmers turn on each other. and an unusual exhibition in at

4:00 pacific. >> welcome back, the top stories here on "al jazeera." mario monti has resigned after 13 years as the prime minister. sill i have you burr luss coney says he will -- burr luss coney

-- berlusconi says he will try to replace him. >> president barack obama announced he will nominate john kerry for secretary of state. >> the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. >> and the powerful national rifle association says gun control won't protect american children. >> it's not this gun control that's been turned spotlight but also america's mental health system. the 20-year-old gunman adam lanza had psychiatric turner. >> in the wake since adam lanza opened fire and killed 26 people in connecticut, one question remained unanswered. why? the national debate which started with gun control has wydened to include the american mental health system. >> and the -- i'm the mother of a mentally ill son.

>> liza long blogged about her son. >> i love my son but he terrifies me. >> one in 17 americans live with a serious mental illness. less than a third rereceive professional help. lanza's brother said he had a personality disorder. and friends talked about her fear. there is no record of lanza getting help. >> the shooters of columbine also had mental health problems. >> many parents are struggling with children who have emotional symptoms. they go to the emergency room. and it's a band-aid. >> it was looking after 500 patients. in 1956 more than 7,000 people

committed there. but over the years that number has steadly declined. and today it has a capacity of just 509 patients. >> in the last three years states have cashed more than $4 million. a time when the number of patients needing those services has increased by 10%. most health insurance companies do not cover street. for mental illness. it's often classified as a pre-existing condition and requires long-term care. >> if you don't take care of the bridges they're going to collapse. if you don't take care of the mental health system you're going to see people slip through the cracks an we're going have more shootings. >> a grim prediction but this a country accustomed to gun related violence, it does not seem too far fetched. >> and the security council says a downing of a u.n. helicopter in south sudan

jeopardizes its action in the region. four crew members were killed. an investigation is underway. the region has been the scene of recent fighting between armyies. >> we strongly deplore the shooting down of the helicopter in south sudan by the liberation army. four russian crew members all of whom were confirmed dead. this is a grave violation of the state of forces agreement of august 8th, 2011 and jeopardized the operations. >> two rebel groups in malley -- mali say they will stop fighting.

they condemned the u.n. condition to send people in northern mali. >> the bodies of 55 immigrant who is drowned off the coast of somalia have been laid out for identification. relatives crowded the hospital. survivors said the boat capsized into its journey to yemen. >> in kenya, women and children are among the dead after rival land fighting between farmers and cattle herders. >> in just a few hour this is slage was turn into a scene of carnage. the men who attacked the people here use guns and machetes to kill and maim. among the dead and injured are women and children.

the people of the village belong to seminomadic people who roam the land with their farm. each side claiming water and grazing fields in the territory belong to them. >> i believe this is a time to blame them. we need teamwork so that we can be able to help ours from this fighting that we're in. >> the region could be one of the most valuable untapped agricultural areas in the country. but kenya just months away from an election. experts say this is about power and money. >> it is really about politics and the forthcoming election. and it's about numbers. you have a grouping in which the community and the fight or

the struggle or the contest for and political dominance as far as the next elections are concerned. >> what happened on friday is all too similar in villages in august and september. more than 100 people were killed and thousands were forced to leave their homes. it was the worst fighting since the election five years ago. poll -- the electoral commission have identified 27 hot spots around the country where they say there could be potential violence during the election. >> the conflict between these two warring communities could grow. >> to egypt now where there

have been violent clashes between rival protestors in alexandria. the demonstrators square off on the constitution. the final vote on the draft is scheduled this saturday. >> buses and several cars were set on fire. they were -- belonged to the muslim brotherhood. the rally had been called by the port city by those supporting the constitution. it erupted in violence between those supporting the constitution and those opposed to it. the security forces had been on standby through today. the same city was the scene of violence before the first round of voting on this referendum a week ago. the polls will be opening within the next 24 hours, roughly the same number of voters will be taking part as in the first round that is some

26 million eligible voters. those supporting the draft constitution have got a significant lead according to unofficial results as some 57% voted yes against the 43% who voted no. the final result will be coming in late saturday night. >> the head of nato said they continue to fire scud missile at een government forces. >> this is proof that the syrian government is using missiles against opposition fighters. >> and this is another launch at night. the footage is said to be taken on thursday near homs. activists also posted this

video on the internet which appears to show the aftermath of another attack using a scud missile. nato secretary general says the syrian regime is desperate. >> i can confirm that we have detected the launch of missiles . we strongly regret that act. i consider it acts of a desperate regime approaching collapse. >> meanwhile fighting across syria is intensifying. in this town activists have heavy bombardment and killed civilians. elsewhere rebels were claiming games in different areas. in damascus, rebels were celebrating their advances. the syrian government says its

army was clearing towns and cities from what they call terrorists. and there have been protests against their president. demonstrators were calling the president the enemy of god. and in the birthplace of the syrian uprising is not letting down. fighting is said to go on to days, weeks and perhaps months to come. >> and nepal is on the front line of climate changes ancient glaciers and the himalayan mountains are under threat. >> aun usual expiration for a

work of art. the rivers are choked with rubbish, air filled with pollution. and all this is being used to encourage people to question how art can relate to environmental construction? they're hoping to come up with some answers. artists are working together to bring a solution. >> different ways of looking at how do you reach out to people? >> so it's how do i interact with nature >> it is a wide perspective for them to challenge mankind's relationship with the natural world. a constant disturbing noise of trees being chopped.

tradition spaces have incooperated contemporary art forcing people to think about the climate. >> one thing is the place where is i used to walk, the buildings, the complex, they actually are drastically closed underneath the bfplgt and there was irrigation. >> it's the last of the connection to nature. it's a theme that reoccurs over an over again all over the world. >> human greed, food security, the impact on climate change are just some of the concerns

that the artists have expressed through their work. the festival might be a visual treat but it has